Parents, Schools Are On Edge

By

Lisa Fleisher and

Stephanie Banchero

Dec. 16, 2012 8:00 p.m. ET

Parents across the country wrestled with fears for their children's safety as they prepared to return to school this week, while some districts planned to increase security in the aftermath of the massacre in Connecticut.

ENLARGE

A police officer stood guard on Sunday in front of a Monroe, Conn., school, not far from Newtown.
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Many families went on a news blackout over the weekend to keep children from learning of Friday's attack on 20 first-graders and six adults by a gunman who then killed himself. But the prospect of going back to school Monday raised the likelihood that children would begin to learn details about an event that plenty of adults said they still could barely comprehend.

WSJ reporter in Denbury, Conn. An update on the investigation and the aftermath of Friday's deadly shooting in Newtown, Conn. Will include clips and sound bites from President Obama and the weekend. Photo: REUTERS.

"You prepare your children to grow up and be successful," said Michael Whright, 28 years old, who has three young children in Pittsburgh public schools and a toddler in day care. "You don't prepare them for an early death."

School districts reassured parents about security procedures already in place, while some, such as Tampa, Fla., increased safety measures. A western Pennsylvania district sped up plans Sunday to arm security officers at its public schools in the hopes that officers would be able to carry handguns in school Monday morning.

Alicia Howard, of Jupiter, Fla., said her 12- and 15-year old daughters know about the shooting but said she tried to protect them from the "gory details" by hiding the front page of the morning's paper. "They know bad things happen, but I don't want them worrying about things they cannot change," she said.

At All Saints' Episcopal Church in Chicago, many parents said they intended to stick to their daily routine Monday morning, hoping to send a message to children that they would be safe at school.

Ana Schedler, 48, said she tried to shield her first-grade daughter from any news about the shooting. But she said her seventh-grade daughter fretted over the weekend, texting friends and asked whether a shooter could get into her public school on the city's North Side.

More on Connecticut School Shooting

"I've tried to reassure her and let her know this was a fluke and it's so unlikely to happen at her school," said Ms. Schedler, her eyes welling with tears. "But kids worry and, as parents, we have to be prepared to comfort them."

The feelings are particularly raw in Newtown, Conn., the site of Friday's rampage. State police said school-emergency plans across Connecticut were being re-examined, and it was unclear Sunday night whether the Newtown school district would reopen on Monday.

Roxanne Madar, 38, said she was nervous about sending her second-grade daughter, Bianca, back to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where the killings occurred. But she said she would if the school reopens. "I'm going to have to try to get over my fear that when my child is sent to school, she might not come home," Ms. Madar said.

Patricia DiMasi, 38, who lives in nearby Southbury, said she would keep her 5-year-old son home until her husband has a chance to visit their school and review its security procedures. Her friend Marcia Austin said her 11-year-old daughter wanted to go back to school. Ms. Austin said her daughter planned to scout the location of classroom closets after hearing that children in Newtown hid in them.

"I'm just shocked that these things are going through her mind," said Ms. Austin, 43. "It makes me feel like I want to move to a farm and lock the whole farm."

Board members of the Butler, Pa., school district, 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, voted Dec. 10 to arm the security officers at its elementary and secondary schools. Those plans have been accelerated. "We figured, we're going to do it anyway, so let's get it in place now," Michael Strutt, superintendent of the Butler Area School District said Sunday.

In Chicago, 45-year-old father Kevin Knapp said he will stick to his typical morning schedule when he sends his daughter to private school on the North Side.

"Except," he said, "maybe I'll give her a bigger hug when I drop her off."

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.